Carry-On (A PopEntertainment.com Movie Review)

PopEntertainment
Dec 12, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Oct 10

CARRY-ON (2024)

Starring Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Tonatiuh Elizarraraz, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, Josh Brener, Dean Norris, Sinqua Walls, Curtiss Cook, Benito Martinez, Adam Stephenson, Joe Williamson, Gil Perez-Abraham, Edwin Kho, Reisha Reynolds, Michael Scott, Nico Bucher and Jill Flint.

Screenplay by T. J. Fixman.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

Distributed by Netflix. 119 minutes. Rated PG-13.

If you’ve ever wondered what Die Hard would look like if John McClane traded his badge for a TSA uniform and Bruce Willis was replaced by Taron Egerton, Carry-On might just be your answer. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, this Netflix original doesn’t reinvent the action genre – but it doesn’t need to. It’s here to entertain, and it does so with the kind of popcorn-movie swagger that makes you forget you’re watching it on your couch instead of in a sticky-floor multiplex.

Egerton plays Ethan Kopek, a TSA agent with a heart of gold and a girlfriend who’s conveniently pregnant – because nothing says “emotional stakes” like a baby on the way. Enter Jason Bateman, who ditches his usual deadpan charm for something darker and more deliciously sinister. He’s the mysterious Traveler, a villain who’s more “quiet threat” than “mustache-twirling maniac,” and it works.

The plot? Classic moral dilemma meets airport chaos. Ethan is forced to allow a suspicious bag through security or risk losing his girlfriend. It’s a modern riff on the trolley problem, wrapped in holiday tinsel and airport anxiety. Sure, the setup is a little far-fetched, and yes, there are plot holes you could drive a luggage cart through – but that’s part of the charm.

Collet-Serra keeps the tension tight, the pacing brisk, and the action grounded enough to feel real without losing its cinematic punch. The film doesn’t try to be Mission: Impossible or John Wick – it knows its lane and stays in it. Think Speed meets Air Force One, with a dash of Home Alone if Kevin McCallister had a badge and a moral crisis.

Egerton plays it straight, maybe too straight at times, but his understated performance lets Bateman shine. And shine he does – his villain is the kind of role you wish he’d play more often. The supporting cast, including Sofia Carson as Nora, adds just enough heart to keep the stakes believable.

Is Carry-On a holiday classic? Not quite. But in a season of bloated blockbusters and sentimental fluff, it’s a welcome throwback to the kind of tight, single-location thrillers that used to dominate the ‘90s. It’s not perfect, but it’s fun—and sometimes, that’s all you need.

Dave Strohler